Beetroot, smoked mackerel & horseradish pizza

This is probably the most bizarre pizza I came across (well, not mentioning some of American inventions I guess..). I am a big fan of minimalistic pizza with fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella, so I don't call myself a pizza toppings expert. I hate when pizza is overloaded with ingredients, especially cheese. 

This is also one of the best pizzas I ever made and ate. I mean the topping as well as the base. 

Recipe comes from "Hugh's Three Good Things (on a plate)" and to be honest it was on my mind constantly for last two weeks. First I though: "What a bizarre mix of ingredients in general and especially on a pizza" , but then second thought:

" What's not to like? Beets? Good! Mackerel? Good! Horseradish? Good!” 

(do you remember this scene from "Friends", in which Rachel prepared a dessert with beef?)

Anyway this combination is perfect. Beets &horseradish – delicious. Smoked mackerel & horseradish - delicious. These three work brilliantly in one dish.

What is the most bizarre pizza you have ever eaten?

3 medium pizzas

Dough

250g plain flour

250g white strong bread flour

1 level tsp of salt  

1 tsp instant yeast 

1 tbsp olive oil 

about 300ml water (or how much flour will take – different types of flour take different amount of water)

Sauce

1 tbsp freshly grated horseradish 

3 tbsp plain yoghurt  

1 tbsp lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper 

salt

Topping

 

2 medium beetroots, unpeeled

2 fillets of smoked mackerel

2 shallots (I used French, if you go for English ones double the amount, as they are much smaller)

a splash of olive oil

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Firstly prepare the dough. Mix both flours together and add the salt, yeast and olive oil. Next little by little add the water and mix either with your hands or with a mixer. You need to knead the dough for about 10 minutes, it could be sticky at first but it will become more elastic during the kneading. Then place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and leave it until doubled in size.

In the meantime prepare the sauce. Mix horseradish, yoghurt, lemon juice and mix and then season with some salt and pepper. Set aside and prepare the topping.

Heat the oven to 180 C, place beets in oven proof dish, drizzle with little olive oil and roast until soft. Knife should go in easily when they're ready. Remove from the oven and leave it to cool down. Then peel and slice.

Remove the skin from the mackerel and fake it with your fingers to bite size pieces.

Peel and slice the shallots (not too thinly, I cut them too thinly and some of them were burnt, still tasty though!). Place in a bowl, drizzle with little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss it, until covered with oil.

Heat the oven to 250 C (or at least 220 C) with a pizza stone or a baking tray.

When dough is ready remove it from the bowl onto a floured worktop and gently press with yours hands. Divide into three parts and again press each to flatten them a bit. Leave it to rest for about 15 minutes. Then place one piece onto a tray or pizza shovel and roll thinly.

Place one third of the sliced beets onto prepared base, as well as mackerel and top with shallot rings. Drizzle with little more olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Slide the pizza onto a hot tray or stone and bake until crisp and golden. Repeat with the remaining dough and topping.

Divide into portions and serve with the horseradish sauce.

Naan bread pizza with quail eggs, asparagus & prosciutto

When I don’t have a time to make my own pizza and I fancy some home made stuff I use shop bought naan breads. I have my favourite brand and I often have two breads frozen just in case I need some for mid week supper – with curry, with soup or as a base for kind of pizza. If  I host a dinner with friends and serve Indian food I prefer to make my own naan breads, otherwise I am quite happy to have shop bought once in a while and as an emergency. It only takes about 15 minutes to have this tasty dinner ready – isn’t it perfect for mid week meal? 

You can put anything on the top. Anything. Whatever you fancy, what is in season or what you have left in the fridge.  Today’s recipe is exactly like this:

-         I fancied quail eggs

-         Asparagus is in season

-         We had some leftover cream and some cheddar left in the fridge

This is what I have end up with. Not bad, huh?

Serves 2 

2 naan  breads

2 tbsp double cream  

3 tbsp mature Cheddar, grated  

Some freshly ground nutmeg

8 green asparagus spears, wooden bit removed, halved

4 quail eggs  

4 slices of prosciutto  (Parma ham type)

salt

freshly ground black pepper

few fresh basil leaves, for garnishing (optional)

Heat the oven to 180 C (fan).

Place naan breads onto a baking tray lined with some baking paper. Top with some cream, sprinkle with salt, pepper and some nutmeg, then add the cheddar, asparagus and place in the oven for about 12 minutes.

Next remove from the oven and crack two eggs onto each naan, add little bit more salt and place in the oven for 3 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and top with some shredded Italian ham. Garnish with some fresh basil. Cut into portions and serve immediately.

Courgette, prosciutto & black olives pizza

To be quite honest I am extremely happy when I have simple margherita pizza on lovely thin base and made with fresh ingredients. However I also like my seasonal pizzas made with fresh veg that I use in my kitchen at that time. This is ho I created my favourite October and May pizzas. 

I know it June is getting to an end, however the season for courgettes only started and It will last the whole summer, so this also could be called: my favourite summer pizza (well, again as much loved as margherita made with fresh tomato sauce and good quality cheese).

I have made the base for this pizza with wholemeal flour; you can use white strong bread flour. I quite like the texture of wholemeal base and it seems to be healthier than 100% white flour base. The key is to leave the dough to rise in a low temperature and long time – If you haven’t tried it yet I strongly recommend this kind of dough resting in a fridge overnight.

Makes 2 medium pizzas

Base

 

450g strong whole wheat flour (you can use a white one)
level tsp dried yeast
level tsp salt
half tsp sugar
2-3 tbsp olive oil
250-300ml lukewarm water

You can use bread machine to make the dough, stand mixer or your hands. I placed all of the ingredients (dry first, then yeast, then wet ones) in the stand mixer and mixed for about 7 minutes, until the dough was quite flexible and firm. Next leave the dough in an oiled bowl, covered with piece of cling film and leave it in a fridge overnight. 

Next day remove the dough from a fridge, at least an hour before baking and prepare the sauce. 

Sauce

200ml tinned tomatoes, chopped
tbsp olive oil
clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
small onion, peeled and finely chopped
a splash of dry red wine

handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
pinch of sugar
salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a pan fry the onions with some salt and sugar in the olive oil over a low heat until soft. Add garlic and fry for one minute, next add the wine and leave it to evaporate slightly. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and reduce over a low heat until thick. Add some basil, cook for another 3 minutes and liquidise roughly with a hand blender. Set aside and prepare the oven and the dough. 

Heat the oven to 250 C together with pizza stone (if you do not have one, use baking tray or pizza tray) and divide the dough into two. Shape each part with your hands, flatten it little bit and leave it to rest for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the remaining ingredients.

Topping

1 small courgette

8 slices of Italian prosciutto

Handful black pitted olives

2 x 125g mozzarella 

Slice the courgette thinly, cut the olives in halves, and tear ham and mozzarella into smaller pieces. 

Spread the tomato sauce over each pizza base, top with the remaining ingredients and place in the oven. Bake until base is crispy and the cheese on the top is melted and golden. 

Remove from the oven and leave it to cool down slightly, then cut into portions and garnish with some fresh basil. It is lovely hot or cold, so any leftovers you can happily take with you for the lunch next day.

Squash, rosemary & goats' cheese pizza

When the asparagus was in season I showed you the only right May pizza. I like to top my pizza with seasonal ingredients so this month I have to show you something which is typically October thing – butternut squash. In the summer I like to have a decent tomato sauce, herbs and mozzarella nothing else, but when it is getting colder and darker I need bit of sunshine on my plate and something more filling.

Therefore this is recipe which I love in autumn. I have found similar in Good Food magazine years ago, but this is different. I made it my own by putting some extra ingredients and effort by making my own rosemary pizza base. You cannot beat it when is dark and miserable outside. This is what I call the comfort food.



Makes 2 medium pizzas

For the base

400g white strong bread flour
7g dried yeast
1 level tsp salt
half tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
200-250ml lukewarm water

Place all of the above in bread maker and use the program “dough” or “pizza”. If you do not have one, place flour in a bowl and mix with other ingredients then make the dough using your hands until you have a ball. Leave it covered in the bowl until doubles in size. This dough is great to keep in a fridge, it will rise slowly and be even better, so you can prepare it day ahead or in the morning and only remove it from the fridge to bring to the room temperature – about 1 hour before baking.

For the sauce

200ml tinned tomatoes, liquidised with hand blender until smooth
tbsp olive oil
clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
small onion, peeled and finely chopped
a splash of dry red wine
pinch of sugar
salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a pan fry the onions with some salt and sugar in the olive oil over a low heat until soft. Add garlic and fry for one minute, next add the wine and leave it to evaporate slightly. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and reduce over a low heat until thick. Set aside and prepare

Topping

half medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced into 1-1.5cm pieces
tbsp olive oil
pinch cayenne
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
100g hard goats’ cheese, coarsely grated
3-4 tbsp pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 180C and you can place a pizza stone in it already – of you are using one.

Place the butternut squash onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne. Roast until al dente. Remove from the oven and turn the temperature up to 250C.

Divide the dough into 2, place on lightly floured surface and shape each round. Leave it to rest for about 10 minutes.

Spread the sauce onto each pizza base, top with roasted squash, sprinkle with cheese, rosemary and pine nuts and place onto hot pizza stone. Bake until risen, golden and cheese is nicely melted.

Asparagus & goats cheese pizza

And this is what I call "the only right pizza in May". Asparagus seson! Woo-hoo!

Makes 4 small pizzas



Dough

450g strong whole wheat flour (you can use a white one)
level tsp dried yeast
level tsp salt
half tsp sugar
2-3 tbsp olive oil
250-300ml lukewarm water

I use bread machine to make the dough. I have placed all the ingredients in the machine and used “pizza” program (“dough” in those without extra “pizza” program). If not using the bread machine place all the ingredients in a big bowl and make the dough using your hands. Next leave the dough in a bowl, covered in draft free, warm place until it doubles in size.


Sauce

4tbsp crème fraîche
2 garlic cloves
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg


Topping

12 asparagus spears, wooden ends removed
camembert style goats cheese (I used 100g of this one )
4 tbsp grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 250C together with a pizza stone. If you do not have a pizza stone, use a baking tray. I always preheat the stone for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Place the dough onto a floured surface, punch it to release the air and divide into 4 balls. Shape each one into a flatbread like shape. Leave it to rest for a while.

Meanwhile boil the asparagus for about 3 minutes, drain and leave it under cold running water for few minutes. Drain and dry.

Mix the crème fraîche with finely chopped garlic, pepper and nutmeg and spread over each pizza base, then sprinkle with a half of the parmesan.

Place 3 asparagus spears on the top of each one together with sliced goat cheese and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

Bake until base is crispy and cheese on the top is golden.

It tastes good cold too, so you can take it for picnic or to work for lunch next day.